Get these 8 habits and your life will change for the better

1. Spend the first hour of your day on important tasks

To do this, you need to understand what you want to achieve in a day. This way you can tackle the essentials right away.

Don't start your day with small jobs that don't add value or help you advance towards long-term goals. For example, parsing mail and notifications. They take up time and distract from what's important. Take care of them after completing the main task.

Starting your morning with something important will put you in a state of flux. After that, it will be easier to cope with other matters.

2. Do one case at a time

Unsurprisingly, we find it difficult to concentrate on one thing if we are constantly distracted by notifications and messages. According to scientists, it takes about 23 minutes on average to regain attention after a minor distraction.

If you constantly switch from one to another, the work result will noticeably decrease.

So forget about multitasking, do one thing at a time. To better concentrate, add a time limit to all items on your to-do list and try to keep within it.

Try the Pomodoro method for that. Work on the task for about half an hour, then take a five-minute break and get back to business or start a new one.

3. Never Stop Learning

Think of any famous scientist, entrepreneur or historical figure - they were all constantly engaged in self-education. Take an example from them and regularly learn something new. And it doesn't matter where you start to study a subject: in a university classroom or on your own, sitting in your favorite coffee shop. The main thing is that you have a sincere interest.

It is not necessary to set aside a lot of time for this. Find windows in your routine and learn what interests you. Try to do this regularly. Look for as many sources as possible to broaden your horizons. Read books and articles, watch videos, sign up for online courses. Check out sites where people share their opinions.

4. Develop lateral thinking

We usually think vertically: we go step by step, analyze, rely on facts and generally accepted approaches. As a result, we get one expected result. Lateral thinking challenges established methods, breaks rules, combines different possibilities, and produces many results.

According to Shane Snow, author of the book “Turbo Effect. How to achieve extreme success in an unrealistically short time , lateral thinking involves looking at the problem from unexpected angles. This will not work if you do the same thing over and over again. With more effort, you may still not achieve your goal. It is necessary to change the usual approach. This is where lateral thinking helps.

5. Spend at least 5 minutes a day mindfully

Those who regularly train mindfulness report a reduction in soreness and stress. Research confirms that such training changes the brain. MRI scans show that the amygdala, which is responsible for emotional responses, shrinks slightly. And the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision making and control, becomes denser.

You don't have to meditate for half an hour to develop mindfulness. Just pay attention to what is happening around you as often as possible. Try to notice if you are lost in your thoughts and feelings, and return to the present moment.

When we stop focusing on the past and worrying about the future, we begin to appreciate the little things and see opportunities that we have not paid attention to before.

By spending even five minutes a day consciously, you will gradually become calmer to react to events, make better decisions and interact with others.

6. Read every day

Reading makes the brain work, trains it in the same way that physical activity pumps the body. It develops thinking, teaches to notice the connections between phenomena and draw conclusions. Leads through time, space and history, introduces new ideas, feelings and knowledge.

The brain while reading can be compared to a symphony orchestra. Its different departments interact to understand the lyrics, just as musical instruments sound together to create a single melody.

In contrast to viewing and listening to information, reading is more expensive for the brain, which means that in the end it brings more benefits. It gives you time to think, process the data and present what is described. Bonus Bonus: Daily reading slows age-related cognitive decline.

7. Meet other views of the world

We unconsciously seek and notice information about which we already know something. This cognitive bias protects our established worldview, but does not allow us to look wider. Therefore, it is important to look for other points of view that are not similar to yours. Plus, it's a great source for new ideas.

Get interested in other cultures and languages, and other industries. Do not dismiss other people's opinions, be open to discussions. Read about what you usually ignore. In everything, try to find something informative. Without genuine interest, you will learn automatically and learn little. To get interested, talk to people from an area you are not accustomed to. Find something in common, do something together, read about those who have achieved a lot in this activity.

8. Take a break from everyday life

If you feel stuck in an area, take a break. Think about where you will come, continuing to move the same way. Assess if you are making progress. Sometimes it's enough just to change the environment and break out of the usual routine. For example, take a little walk. Movement and fresh air will help you find new ideas.

From time to time, it's helpful to turn off notifications and be alone with yourself.

Sit in silence without being distracted by your phone or other devices. Relax or think about what there was not enough time for. Close yourself off from the outside world and draw energy from within yourself.

And do not forget to be charged with the positive. Move, try new things. Watch a comedy, draw, play. Relax, fool around, let yourself be free. It will energize.